iMacs with i7, SSD, and Magic Trackpad make their debut

The Magic Trackpad is real, and so are the new iMacs. The updated machines now …

As anticipated, Apple released an update to the iMac line Tuesday morning. It also unleashed the rumored Magic Trackpad, a wireless "intuitive multi-touch" trackpad that brings gestures to the desktop. The iMacs still sport the same cosmetic design as the previous model, but are packed with more power and can even come equipped with an SSD drive.

All iMacs have been given Intel's latest dual-core i3 and i5s, as well as quad-core i5 and i7 processors—the previous model sported Core 2 Duos in the lower-end models, but those have now all been upgraded to i3s. The iMacs also come with discrete ATI Radeon HD for graphics. On top of these upgrades, those who buy the higher-end 27" iMac can get a 256GB solid state drive as either a primary or secondary drive, though this option is not available for buyers of the 21.5" iMac.

The 21.5" iMac starts at $1,199 for a 3.06GHz Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB SATA drive at 7200rpm, and ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics with 256MB GDDR3 SDRAM. At the other end is the high-end 27" iMac starting at $1,999 for quad-core Core i5s, 1TB drive, and ATI Radeon HD 5750 with with 1GB GDDR5. This one can be built to order with 2.93GHz quad-core Core i7s and the SSD drive. Those with a burning desire to see an exhaustive list of the specs can head over to the Apple Store.

The iMac, as usual, comes with Apple's buttonless Magic Mouse, but it also comes with the option of the Magic Trackpad. The device is an external, wireless trackpad that basically looks like the metal palm rest on a MacBook Pro, but one that's covered in glass. The aim here is to bring the multitouch gestures that users have become accustomed to on Apple's portable line to the desktop, allowing pinch and zoom, two-finger scroll, three- and four-finger swipes, and more. Apple says the device can click, though we're still a little unclear on how that functionality would work.

According to the Apple Store online, you can add the Magic Trackpad to your iMac order for an additional $69 (on top of a Magic Mouse), but there is no trackpad-only option. Apple has also rolled out an overpriced $29 AA battery charger to go along with your wireless devices if you so choose, but far less expensive third-party options are available. As someone who switches between an iMac and MacBook Pro several times a day, I find often myself trying to perform multitouch gestures on my Magic Mouse, but I'm not sure I'd spend $70 on an external trackpad. What about you?

Jacqui Cheng
Jacqui is an Editor at Large at Ars Technica, where she has spent the last eight years writing about Apple culture, gadgets, social networking, privacy, and more. Emailjacqui@arstechnica.com//Twitter@eJacqui